Eh... blockade and silly block crushes the game pretty easily, too. Probably easier, most of the time -- defense generally seems to win out over offense for most (vanilla, particularly) StS fights (exception being probably the nob and maybe the statue, iirc... could argue the cultists I guess but they're too squishy to matter). Also more comfortably opens up the option of, y'know, taking one of the neow options that dumps your starter relic. Ironclad's is probably the best but none of them (well, without getting mods involved as some those have hella' sexy starters) are really that
good. Aiming to replace isn't exactly a terrible idea if you're running a vanilla critter.
though why you'd run a vanilla critter at this point when the mod scene has more or less taken off running I dunno 
E: Though getting more block cards when the RNG's screwing you... I got nothin'. You can try mods that add more cards, or roll with endless in hopes of getting them in the second go through, but ultimately if the seed decides all you're getting is an iron wave then all you're getting is an iron wave. Bout all you can do at that point is go reproductive organs out and roll full offensive.